What took so long? Was this lack of interest or something more profound?
"More than a decade ago, scientists succeeded for the first time in generating primordial germ cells—the precursors of sperm and eggs—from embryonic stem cells, a process that led to functional sperm capable of producing offspring. The milestone, achieved in mice, had not been repeated in any other species since. ...
In recent years, though, [researchers] have been constructing rat mutants that have allowed them to visualize the development of primordial germ cells in vivo. Using fluorescent markers to trace the expression of genes that are key to the transition from stem cells to primordial germ cells, they have learned more about how gene expression changes over time, all of which was helpful to finally recapitulate the process in vitro ..."
In recent years, though, [researchers] have been constructing rat mutants that have allowed them to visualize the development of primordial germ cells in vivo. Using fluorescent markers to trace the expression of genes that are key to the transition from stem cells to primordial germ cells, they have learned more about how gene expression changes over time, all of which was helpful to finally recapitulate the process in vitro ..."
"In the past decade, methods have been developed to generate germ cells from pluripotent stem cells for studies of development and in vitro gametogenesis. However, offspring from in vitro–derived germ cells has only been achieved in mice. Oikawa et al. extend this work beyond mice to a second rodent species, the rat, a leading animal model for biomedical research with many physiological similarities to humans. A stepwise protocol allows for the production of fetal stage rat germ cells that can produce viable offspring upon maturation in the testis and injection of the sperm into unfertilized oocytes. This system will allow comparative studies and enable broader execution and analysis of in vitro gametogenesis."
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